This invention relates to an apparatus and corresponding method for examining objects, in particular documents of value, identification or security documents, having at least one detector device for detecting at least one property of an object to be examined and for generating at least one detector signal corresponding to the detected property, the detector device and the object being movable relative to each other in a transport direction and the detector device extending over at least a partial area of the object.
An apparatus of this type is known for example from European laid-open print EP 0 413 534 A1. For checking an encoded security thread located on a bank note with magnetic or luminescent code areas positioned along said thread, the bank note is transported past an elongate detector with a transport device. The detector encloses an acute angle with the transport direction so that the individual code areas of the security thread are brought successively into the area of the detector. A suitable evaluation electronics is used to determine the encoded information from the time behavior of the detector signals.
However, this apparatus is mainly suitable for the examination of security threads. No statements in particular about the position or nature of other types of security features, such as round holograms, so-called patches, or areas with special electric, magnetic or optical properties, are permitted by the known apparatus with sufficient reliability or unless an elaborate evaluation electronics is used.